The "2-Minute Rule" Will Help You Tackle Any Home Project
Apartment Therapy’s January Cure is a free 20-day program that’ll help you refresh your home for the year ahead. Sign up here and get all assignments delivered to your inbox.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking every repair project you do around your house is going to suck up a ton of time — I mean, so many of them actually do! But for every big project — replacing a leaky faucet, repainting a room, swapping out an old light fixture — there are smaller ones that need doing, too, and I find that checking those smaller ones off my list makes me feel like an actual superhero.
So, how small are we talking? Well, not long ago I read a story in which the writer tried out a two-minute rule for decluttering — as in, she’d set a timer and do whatever she could in two minutes and call it done. I thought that was a pretty brilliant way to approach home projects, too. Bite-size home repair projects are anything that you can do in under two minutes.
Day 11: Follow the two-minute rule.
Stick with me here! I know two minutes doesn’t sound like a lot (because it isn’t!), but there are actually a lot of little things you can do around your home in about that time. Don’t believe me? Here’s a list of some of the tasks that you can do in under two minutes.
Swap out a cracked light switch plate (it’s just two screws!).
Replace a burnt-out lightbulb.
Use WD-40 to lubricate sticky door hinges.
Use a candle to lubricate sticky drawers.
Fill a nail hole in your drywall.
Add felt pads to furniture feet.
Fix a scratch in your wood furniture.
Tighten a loose knob on your cabinet.
Not so bad, right? Today, your Cure assignment is to choose one of the above tasks (or a two-minute task of your own!) and complete it. My best advice here is to not worry about what’s most important in your home — choose instead a task that is easy, so you can check it off and be done.
Go-getters might feel inspired to complete more than one two-minute task today. I love that enthusiasm! But I encourage you to stick to just one two-minute task, and if you like, you can pick up another tomorrow (and the day after, and the day after that … ).
PRO TIP: The two-minute rule is all about taking advantage of small pockets of time to knock out things on your to-do list, so it’s better to make this a more frequent habit (add it to your calendar!) than to do these chores in bulk.
What was your two-minute task today? Share what you did in the community forum.
More ways to participate in the January Cure:
Sign up for email updates.
Visit the 2025 January Cure page and catch up on assignments.
Download the January Cure calendar.
Join the conversation by checking out the Cure board in our community forum.
Check off that you’ve completed this task and track your overall January Cure progress here!
The Cure Program is a tradition here at Apartment Therapy — it happens every January, April, and September. Click here to learn more about the year-round program and when to sign up.
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Ashley — Here Are the Best to Suit Your Style and Space
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture
See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room
